I created my own version of coconut chicken curry almost four years ago now, long before I decided to start living a primal lifestyle. I had originally tasted a chicken curry made from a spice kit at a neighbor’s house and took a few months trying to copy it to perfection. This is what I came up with, with some changes made to suit my family’s tastes. To make the recipe primal, all I did was take out the rice served with the dish and replaced it with quinoa, or “cauliflower rice” (directions at bottom). This recipe will comfortably serve four people.

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs

1 tbsp coconut oil

½ medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can coconut milk

¼ to ½ cup chicken stock

1 red pepper, chopped

5-6 white mushrooms, sliced

½ cup broccoli in bite-sized pieces

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

1 tbsp dried chili flakes (use more or less depending on your preference for spicy foods)

1-3 tablespoons curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro for garnish

Directions

Use the coconut oil in a deep frying pan to brown the outsides of the chicken thighs. You do not need to worry about cooking them through, they will finish cooking later.

Remove from pan and add a touch more coconut oil if needed. Soften onions, then add in garlic and ginger and stir constantly for a few seconds.

Add coconut milk and chicken stock. Stir in the spices and then add your chopped vegetables. Stir to incorporate and then place the chicken thighs back into the pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover the pan. Turn the chicken thighs after 10 minutes, and leave the lid off to continue simmering for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are cooked through. Stir in your tomatoes and allow to heat through. Serve on quinoa or cauliflower rice.

Directions for “cauliflower rice”:

Grate or pulse in a food processor a head of cauliflower (wash it first). Season with salt and pepper, and then saute lightly in a pan with coconut oil and remove to plate just before serving.